The Deep Foundations Institute has announced David B. Paul, PE, managing partner of Paul GeoTek Engineering, as the 2020-2021 DFI Traveling Lecturer. He is available, on request of DFI, to present lectures through Aug. 31, 2021.

“Dave Paul’s 45 years of experience in geotechnical engineering, with a focus on critical infrastructure design and risk assessment, make him a perfect traveling lecturer to represent the industry and DFI,” says Theresa Engler, DFI executive director. “As an expert in dam and levee design, construction and safety, he is always willing to share his knowledge with the deep foundations community.”

Paul, now based Denver, Colorado, retired from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) in 2018 after more than four decades in federal service. His last position was as dam safety officer for the Mosul Dam Task Force, which provided technical assistance to the Iraq government to mitigate dam safety issues. He also served as special assistant for dam safety at the USACE headquarters in Washington, D.C., responsible for managing a portfolio of 715 dams.

In a release, DFI says he is a national specialist on critical infrastructure, dam and levee design, in addition to construction engineering, engineering risk assessments, interim risk reduction measures (IRRM), and dam and levee safety modifications. He recently participated in the Risk Assessment for Oroville Dam in California, which is the tallest earth dam in the U.S. He has been involved in the design and construction of 10 new dams and over 75 dam modifications around the world.

Paul is currently a trustee of Deep Foundations Institute (DFI) and a member of the United States Society of Dams (USSD), Association of State Dam Safety Officials (ASDSO) and American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE). He is the DFI trustee liaison to its Seepage Control and International Grouting committees, serves as chair of the USSD Committee on Construction and is active with the Embankment Dams Committee. He is the USSD representative to the International Commission on Large Dams (ICOLD) Embankment Dams Committee.

The DFI introduced the DFI Traveling Lecturer program in 2018 to promote the field of geotechnical engineering and deep foundation construction. The program aims to encourage students to explore deep foundations industry careers, provide information on topics of interest to members of the industry, and raise awareness of how DFI and its activities support the industry. Each year, DFI selects a prominent industry expert as the DFI Traveling Lecturer to present a series of lectures to university students, professional groups and industry associations.

To learn more about the 2020-2021 Traveling Lecturer program, including a list of series topics, visit www.dfi.org/awardslectures.asp?traveling.

The DFI is an international association of contractors, engineers, academics and suppliers in the deep foundations industry with more than 3,500 members worldwide. For more information about the Deep Foundations Institute, visit www.dfi.org.